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FACTS.  FIGURES. 
CITY  OF  YUMA 


BANCIIOFT 
LilRARY 


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U.  5.  R.  5.  Premiier  Project 


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The  Colorado  River  and  the 
New  Highway  Bridge  Which 
Spans  Its  Tiarbmlent  Flood 
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The  RScliest  Farmlog 
Laod  In  the  Wor 


COME  AND  SEE  US  AND  YOU  WILL  ABIDE  WITH  US 


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Facts,  Figures  and  Pictures 


ABOUT  THE 


City  of  Yuma 


and  the  1 50,000  acres  of  valley 
and  mesa  land  along  the  Colorado 
River  which  is  being  reclaimed  by 
the  Reclamation  Service  under  the 
"YUMA     PROJECT" 

THE  GREATEST  FARMING 
COUNTRY  IN  THE  WORLD 
NOW    IN   TH  E    MAKING 


THE  CITY  OF  YUMA 


Yuma  is  the  County  Seat  of  Yuma  County.  It  is  located  on  the 
East  bank  of  the  Colorado  River,  eighty  miles  from  the  Gulf  of 
California,  250  miles  from  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  and  a  like  distance  from 
Tucson,  and  200  miles  from  Phoenix,  the  capital  of  the  State.  It  is  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  is  a  division  point. 
Here  all  trains  change  crews,  and  in  the  town  is  located  the  round 
house,  repair  and  boilershops  and  division  club  house.  About  300 
employes  of  the  railroad  make  their  homes  in  Yuma. 

The  population  of  Yuma  is  in  excess  of  4000  people.  The  federal 
census  of  1910  gave  the  city  2920.  A  recent  census,  made  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  free  mail  delivery  within  the  city,  gave  a  popula- 
tion of  more  than  4000,  and  free  delivery  of  mail  was  established. 
The  1915  census  enumeration  of  children  within  school  age  was  1130, 
an  increase  of  more  than  100  over  the  census  made  one  year  ago. 
The  city  is  growing  at  the  rate  of  500  persons  each  year. 

The  population  is  cosmopolitan.  Good  people  from  everywhere 
have  located  in  Yuma  and  made  their  homes  here.  They  have  found 
health,  happiness  and  business  opportunities,  and  are  making  of  Yuma 
one  of  the  most  desirable  places  in  the  Southwest  in  which  to  live. 

The  people  of  Yuma  enjoy  all  of  the  modern  conveniences  of  life. 
A  privately  owned  company  furnishes  the  people  of  the  city  with 
filtered  water,  gas  for  cooking  and  heating,  electricity  for  light  and 
power,  all  of  which  is  conducted  to  the  business  houses  and  residences 
in  such  quantities  as  are  desired.  An  ice  plant  of  large  capacity 
furnishes  ice  for  all  domestic  purposes  and  supplies  ice  for  icing  all 
the  thousands  of  cars  of  fruits  and  vegetables  carried  through  Yuma 
by  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. 

Yuma  has  no  bonded  debt,  and  owes  only  a  small  floating  debt. 
It  owns  several  hundred  city  lots  and  other  valuable  real  estate,  the 
value  of  which  is  in  excess  of  $100,000.  The  city  owns  two  large 
park  cites.  One  of  five  acres  has  recently  been  improved  and  the 
other  of  twenty-five  acres,  lying  further  out,  will  be  improved  in  the 
near  future. 

The  business  portion  of  the  city  is  located  in  the  valley  close  to 
the  river.  The  residence  portion  of  the  city  stretches  away  on  to  the 
Mesa  and  is  on  much  higher  ground.  There  could  be  no  more 
beautiful  site  for  a  city,  and  there  is  abundant  room  for  expansion. 
To  those  who  want  a  place  in  which  to  live  where  there  is  every 
opportunity  for  health,  business  and  pleasure,  with  all  of  the  material 
comforts  of  life,  Yuma  opens  its  doors  and  extends  an  invitation. 


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YUMA  UNION  HIGH  SCHOOL— COST  $50,000 


Yuma  and  all  of  the  lands  under  the  Yuma  project  are  well 
supplied  with  churches  and  schools.  The  Yuma  Union  High  School 
Building  was  completed  in  the  fall  of  1914.  The  building  cost  $50,000. 
The  building,  grounds,  experimental  farm  and  the  furniture  and 
fixtures  have  cost  the  Union  High  School  District  $72,000.  The 
district  embraces  practically  all  of  the  lands  under  the  Yuma  project. 
A  principal  and  six  teachers  are  employed.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
pupils  are  enrolled.  All  of  the  advantages  of  the  best  high  school 
education  are  offered  to  the  children  of  Yuma  and  surrounding 
country. 


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Two  grammar  school  buildings  are  used  for  the  lower  grades. 
A  principal  and  twenty  teachers  are  employed.  Seven  hundred 
children  are  in  attendance.  The  increase  of  the  number  of  pupils  in 
the  district  will  necessitate  the  erection  of  another  building  during 
the  coming  year. 

Good  schools  with  competent  teachers  and  satisfactory  equipment 
and  buildings  are  to  be  found  in  all  of  the  valley  country  around 
Yuma.  Each  school,  however  small,  is  provided  each  year  with  a 
fund  of  $1000  with  which  to  employ  teachers  and  pay  the  expenses 
of  the  school.  Yuma  county  has  as  good  schools  as  are  to  be  found 
in  Arizona  and  Arizona  has  as  good  schools  as  any  state  in  the  Union 
of  States.  The  person  looking  for  a  place  in  which  to  locate  and 
educate  his  children  cannot  do  better  than  to  make  his  home  in  Yuma. 

The  teachers  employed  in  both  the  high  school  and  the  grammar 
schools  are  the  best  that  can  be  procured.  Many  of  them  are  home 
teachers  who  came  to  Yuma  to  teach  and  became  so  enamored  of  the 
country  that  they  remained  to  live. 


YUMA  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE,  ERECTED  AT  A 
COST  OF  $50,000 


Yuma  County's  new  court  house  was  erected  in  1910  at  a  cost  of 
$50,000.  It  is  a  modern  and  sightly  structure  with  every  modern 
convenience.  It  houses  all  of  the  county  officials,  and  contains  two 
court  rooms.  In  the  rear  is  a  substantial  and  modern  jail  structure 
and  on  the  Southwest  side  a  new  garage  for  the  county  car  has  been 
recently  built.    The  court  house  occupies  a  sightly  position  and  from 


its  dome  a  magnificent  view  of  all  of  the  surrounding  country  may 
be  obtained. 

Yuma  county  is  one  of  the  largest  counties  in  Arizona.  It  is  200 
miles  North  and  South  and  80  miles  from  East  to  West.  At  the  last 
election  2650  voters  were  registered.  It  has  $13,500,000  of  taxable 
property.  The  tax  rate  last  year  was  $1.42  on  the  $100  of  taxable 
property,  a  very  low  rate  for  a  new  and  rapidly  developing  country. 

The  development  of  Yuma  County  is  not  confined  to  any  one 
particular  section.  In  addition  to  the  lands  under  the  Yuma  project 
great  development  is  going  on  in  the  Gila  valley  and  in  the  Cibola 
and  Parker  valleys  along  the  Colorado  River  North  of  Yuma. 


YUMA  LODGE  OF  ELKS'  HOME,  ERECTED  AT  A 
COST  OF  $25,000 


Yuma  has  a  large  number  of  secret  societies,  all  of  which  are 
prosperous,  and  many  of  which  boast  of  a  large  membership.  The 
Elks  are  the  most  conspicuous,  and  have  erected  a  home  of  splendid 
proportions  and  have  furnished  it  in  regal  style.  The  membership  of 
this  order  exceeds  300.  Other  secret  societies  are:  Odd  Fellows, 
Masons,  Moose,  Spanish-American  Alliance,  Rebekahs,  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star,  Eagles,  Knights  of  Pythias. 


The  Masons  own  their  own  home,  and  the  Odd  Fellows  are  pre- 
paring to  build. 

The  women  of  Yuma  take  a  very  active  interest  in  civic  affairs. 
The  Ocotillo  Women's  Club  is  preparing  to  build  a  women's  club 
house.  The  Yuma  Woman's  Club  has  an  active  organization  and 
holds  weekly  meetings.  The  City  Club  is  a  woman's  organization 
of  a  semi-political  nature.  At  Somerton,  in  the  Yuma  Valley,  twelve 
miles  South  of  Yuma,  the  Valley  Woman's  Club  have  erected  a  fine 
club  house,  and  are  active  in  all  good  works. 

All  people  join  hands  in  working  for  the  civic  betterment  of  the 
City  of  Yuma  and  country  surrounding.  No  better  people  or  country 
can  be  found  anywhere. 


YUMA  A  CITY  OF  CHURCHES 

There  are  four  church  buildings  and  as  many  church  organiza- 
tions in  the  City  of  Yuma.  Methodist,  Baptist,  Catholic  and  Episco- 
palian. They  all  have  good  buildings  and  a  large  membership,  a 
regular  pastor,  conduct  a  Sunday  School  at  each,  which  is  largely 
attended  and  have  the  usual  church  organizations  and  societies. 

There  are  two  Methodist  churches  and  two  Baptist  churches  in 
Yuma  Valley,  with  good  buildings  and  active  congregations  and 
regular  pastors  in  charge.     The  spiritual  wellfare  of  the  community 


in  both  the  town  and  the  country  is  well  looked  after,  and  all  of 
these  church  organizations  are  strong  and  healthy  and  doing  a  good 
work.  The  person  who  locates  in  Yuma,  or  on  any  of  the  land  within 
the  Yuma  project  is  never  beyond  the  sound  of  the  church  bell.  The 
people  are  moral  as  well  as  industrious  and  take  great  pride  in  their 
churches  and  schools,  and  all  of  their  secret  societies  and  civic 
organizations. 

It  is  true,  and  to  some  extent  remarkable,  that  in  a  rapidly 
growing  town  and  community  the  size  of  Yuma  and  the  surrounding 
country,  that  there  are  very  few  violations  of  the  law.  The  county 
jail  is  comparatively  empty,  and  the  police  and  criminal  courts  have 
little  to  do  in  the  matter  of  prosecutions  of  criminals. 


THE  YUMA  PROJECT 


The  Yuma  project  is  the  premier  project  of  the  United  States 
Reclamation  Service.  When  completed  it  will  carry  the  waters  of  the 
Colorado  River  to  150,000  acres  of  desert  land  as  rich  in  agricultural 
possibilities  as  can  be  found  in  the  world.  In  the  construction  of  the 
project  many  engineering  difficulties  have  been  met  and  overcome. 
The  chief  engineering  feature  of  the  project  is  Laguna  Dam,  located 
twelve  miles  above  Yuma.  This  dam  is  a  diversion  dam  and  not  a 
storage  dam.  It  is  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  and  at  either  end  are 
located  the  head  gates  which  controls  the  flow  of  the  water  into  the 
canals.  The  dam  raises  the  river  level  above  it  twelve  feet,  and  in  the 
basin  above  the  dam  75  per  ceni  of  the  silt  carried  in  solution  in  the 
waters  of  the  Colorado  are  deposited,  so  that  the  water  which  is 
drawn  off  into  the  canals  is  comparatively  free  from  silt. 


INTAKE  TO  THE  SIPHON  UNDER  THE  COLORADO  RIVER 

Here  the  water  which  has  been  brought  through  the  main  canal 
fifteen  miles  is  dropped  into  a  concrete-lined  well  eighty  feet  deep, 
and  after  passing  through  a  concrete-lined  tunnel  fourteen  feet  in 
diameter,  pours  out  of  another  well  on  the  Arizona  ride  of  the  river, 
and  is  conveyed  in  canals  to  the  60,000  acres  of  land  in  the  Yuma 
Valley. 

The  main  canal  carries  sufficient  water  to  irrigate  150,000  acres 
of  land.  Water  is  taken  from  the  main  canal  before  it  reaches  the 
siphon  at  Yuma  to  irrigate  the  San  Pascual  Valley  (about  8500  acres), 
and  the  Yuma  Indian  Reservation  (about  10,000). 


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THE  YUMA  VALLEY  AND  ITS  CANALS 

The  Yuma  Valley,  lying  down  the  Colorado  River,  South  and 
West  of  Yuma,  is  the  largest  unit  of  the  Yuma  project,  containing 
approximately  60,000  acres  of  arable  land.  This  unit  of  the  project 
is  practically  completed.  Water  is  available  for  all  of  its  rich  acres. 
Water  is  conveyed  from  the  Yuma  siphon  in  two  main  canals,  one 
on  the  West  and  the  other  on  the  East  side  of  the  valley,  diverted 
at  intervals  as  necessity  demands  into  laterals  which  carries  it  to 
every   farm. 

The  valley  is  twenty-four  miles  long  and  from  three  to  seven 
miles  wide,  and  is  practically  level,  sloping  gently  to  the  South  and 
West  to  conform  to  the  fall  of  the  river. 


BRIDGE   OYER  MAIN   CANAL   IN   YUMA 

About  23,000  acres  of  this  land  are  now  ufider  water  and  in  a 
state  of  cultivation.  The  remainder  is  raw  land,  some  of  which  is 
being  leveled  and  put  into  crops  all  of  the  time.  It  is  expected  that 
this  entire  acreage  will  be  put  in  crops  within  the  next  year  or  two. 

The  valley  is  protected  from  the  Colorado  River  and  its  flood 
waters  by  a  levee  constructed  by  the  reclamation  service,  extending 
from  Yuma  to  the  international  line.  On  top  of  this  levee,  for  further 
protection,  a  government-owned  railroad  has  been  built,  twenty-three 
and  one-half  miles  in  length.  The  river  side  of  the  levee  has  been 
blanketed  with  rock  to  a  good  depth,  and  the  valley  has  every 
assurance  that  the  waters  of  the  Colorado  when  at  flood  will  give  it 
no  trouble. 


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ALL  ROADS  LEAD  TO  YUMA 


Yuma  is  located  on  the  Southern  Ocean-to-Ocean  Highway  and 
the  Borderland  Highway,  both  of  which  highways  use  the  same  route 
from  Phoenix  to  the  Coast,  In  addition  to  this  all  of  the  travel  on 
the  "  Old  Trail,"  or  Lincoln  Highway,  during  the  Winter  months 
will  pass  through  Yuma  on  account  of  the  snow  and  cold  on  the 
Northern  route.  The  completion  of  the  new  Highway  Bridge  across 
the  Colorado  River  at  Yuma  marks  an  epoch  in  the  construction  of  a 
permanent  highway  across  Southern  Arizona  and  California.  This  is 
the  first  highway  bridge  across  the  Colorado  River  South  of  the 
Grand  Canyon.  It  was  erected  by  the  Omaha  Structural  Steel  Com- 
pany, and  is  a  beautiful  steel  bridge.  It  is  erected  at  a  point  where 
the  Colorado  River  is  crowded  into  a  narrow  gorge  between  Fort 
Yuma  Indian  Hill  in  California  and  Prison  Hill  in  Arizona.  One 
span  reaches  across  the  397  feet  of  the  river  between  the  shore 
abutments.      This  bridge  was  thrown  open  for  travel  April  15,  1915. 

Another  bridge  of  equal  importance  to  this  highway  is  being 
erected  across  the  Gila  River  fifty  miles  East  of  Yuma  at  Antelope 
Hill.  This  bridge  is  being  built  jointly  by  the  State  of  Arizona  and 
Yuma  County.  It  is  a  concrete  structure  and  will,  when  finished, 
be  massive  and  permanent.  It  will  be  completed  and  open  to  the 
public  seme  time  during  the  year  1915. 

Yuma  County  has  voted  half  a  million  dollars  of  highway  bonds 
with  the  proceeds  of  which  to  build  a  permanent  system  of  good 
roads.  A  part  of  this  fund  will  be  used  to  build  eighty  miles  of 
permanent  road  across  the  county  on  the  line  of  the  National  Highway 
and  connecting  with  Maricopa  County  on  the  East  and  California  on 
the  West.  Out  of  this  fund  one  hundred  miles  of  permanent  highway 
will  be  built  in  the  Yuma  Valley,  a  second  bridge  will  be  constructed 
across  the  Gila  River  near  its  mouth,  connecting  the  South  and  North 
Gila  Valleys,  and  a  line  will  be  built  to  the  Northern  part  of  the 
county  and  across  the  Northern  part  of  the  county  connecting  the 
towns  in  that  section  with  one  another  and  the  county  seat. 

California  is  carrying  the  National  Highway  from  the  Colorado 
River  to  the  Coast.  A  good  portion  of  this  road  has  already  been 
built  and  work  is  progressing  on  the  remainder.  The  end  of  the 
year  will  find  the  National  Highway  across  Arizona  and  California, 
if  not  entirely  completed,  at  least  in  fine  condition  for  auto  travel. 
The  road  is  at  present  in  fairly  good  condition  and  a  goodly  number 
of  autos  are  passing  over  it  every  day.  All  roads  will  "Lead  to 
Yuma,"  or  at  least  through  Yuma  at  an  early  date. 


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MUSCAT  GRAPES  ON  THE  HUSS  RANCH,  YUMA 

VALLEY 

Yuma  Valley  is  becoming  famous  for  the  excellence  of  its  small 
fruits,  and  particularly  of  its   grapes.     The  climatic   conditions  are 


such  that  grapes  grow  to  their  greatest  perfection.  All  varieties 
reach  maturity  early  and  are  the  finest  grown  in  the  country.  Two, 
and    sometimes    three,    crops    are    gathered    from    the    same    vines. 


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A  YUMA  DATE  TREE  LOADED  WITH  HUNDREDS  OF  POUNDS 
OF  CHOICE  FRUIT 

Date  culture  is  an  established  industry  of  the  Yuma  country,  and 
the  yield  of  the  date  trees  and  the  income  from  the  sale  of  the  fruit  is 
astonishing  to  the  new  comer.      Not  many  date  orchards  are  yet  in 


bearing,  but  a  number  have  planted  fair  sized  orchards.  The  old  trees, 
which  have  been  bearing  fruit  for  a  number  of  years,  have  demon- 
strated that  an  acre  of  land  planted  to  date  palms  when  it  comes  into 
bearing  will  yield  a  larger  profit  than  any  other  crop  or  fruit. 


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ALFALFA  IS  THE  KING  OF  FORAGE  CROPS 


Alfalfa  is  indeed  the  King  of  forage  crops.  It  is  the  greatest 
mortgage  lifter  in  the  world.  Prosperity  came  to  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  and  many  another  Western  State  to  abide  permanently  at 
the  time  the  production  of  alfalfa  became  a  fixed  industry.  Tens  of 
thousands  of  farmers  have  grown  rich  growing  this  amazing  grass. 

The  story  of  alfalfa  in  the  Yuma  Valley  and  on  tlie  lands  under 
the  Yuma  project  is  an  unbelievable  romance  of  climate  and  soil  to 
those  who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  conditions  which  prevail  here. 
This  is  its  home  and  habitat.  Here  it  has  reached  its  highest  perfec- 
tion and  produces  its  most  marvelous  results. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  alfalfa  is  harvested  every  month  in  the  year. 
Soil  of  extraordinary  fertility,  continual  sunshine  and  an  abundant 
and  never-failing  water  supply  combine  to  make  the  Yuma  Valley  the 
greatest  alfalfa  growing  country  in  the  world.  There  are  no  rains  to 
damage  the  crop,  no  dew  to  mold  it.  It  comes  to  the  baler,  bright, 
clean  and  in  perfect  condition. 

The  selling  price  of  alfalfa  hay  at  Yuma  during  the  past  eight 
years  has  seldom  been  as  low  as  $8,  and  it  has  sold  as  high  as  $18 
and  $20  the  ton.  It  takes  very  little  figuring  to  demonstrate  the 
money-producing  powers  of  this  superb  crop.  Land  that  will  produce 
alfalfa  to  the  value  of  from  $100  to  $200  per  acre  each  year  and  leave 
the  land  at  the  end  of  the  year  better  than  it  was  at  the  beginning, 
is  almost  without  price. 

In  addition  to  growing  alfalfa  for  hay.  an  industry  which  our  farm- 
ers have  demonstrated  to  be  most  profitable,  the  production  of  a^f^alfa 
seed  has  become  a  profitable  industry.  The  second,  and  someliimes 
the  third  crop  is  cut  for  seed.  The  yield,  during  the  past  four  veirs. 
has  run  from  300  to  1800  pounds  to  ;he  acre.  The  price  has  seldom 
been  as  low  as  10  cen^s  per  rrrrrl  ar^  han  -^on'^  o"^'e^  ""3  cents.  Ihe 
average  price  has  been  about  midway  between  these  figures.  Ynma 
project  alfalfa  seed  is  in  great  demand  all  over  the  country.  It  has 
been  shipped  from  Seattle  to  Florida  It  has  a  reputation  all  over 
the  country  of  being  the  very  best  alfalfa  seed  grown.  During  the 
season  just  closed  more  than  6000  acres  of  alfalTa  were  hprvestel  for 
the  seed.  It  is  cleaned  and  standardized  in  Yuma  by  local  growers' 
associations  before  being  sent  abroad.  Among  the  farmers  in  the 
Yuma  Valley  who  have  made  the  greatest  success  crro  vin^  al^nlfa 
seed  ere  S.  P.  Huss.  James  Meadows.  Karr  &  Kester,  F.  E.  Elliott, 
and  dozers  of  others  might  be  mentioned. 

As  the  dairy  industry  develops  around  Yuma,  and  it  is  now 
developing  with  rapid  strides,  the  growing  of  alfaFa  for  hay.  al*alfa 
merl  and  seed  will  become  a  very  great  business  and  sure  tc  m-ke 
those  V  ho  engage  in  it  a  splendid  return  for  the  labor  and  capital 
invested. 


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A  GREAT  MONEY  MAKING  INDUSTRY— FEEDING 
CATTLE  ON  YUMA  VALLEY  ALFALFA 


On  Yuma  Valley  and  other  Yuma  project  lands  there  are  about 
two  thousand  dairy  cattle.  From  the  various  daries  the  local  demand 
for  milk  in  Yuma  and  surrounding  country  is  supplied.  The  Southern 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  its  dining  car  service  is  supplied  on  the 
Yuma  division  from  Gila  Bend  to  Indio.  The  Yuma  Ice  Company's 
dairy  in  Yuma  takes  all  of  the  milk  and  cream  that  is  not  sold  direct 


to  consumers.  This  dairy  has  a  capacity  of  2500  pounds  of  butter  per 
day.  It  could  use  the  milk  and  cream  from  a  largely  increased 
number  of  cows.  There  are  some  fine  herds  of  dairy  cows  in  the 
Yuma  country.  Holsteins,  Jerseys  and  Herafords.  At  no  place  in 
the  country  can  the  dairyman  find  a  better  opening  than  in  Yuma 
and  its  adjacent  farm  land.  Abundant  feed,  equitable  climate,  plenty 
of  water,  a  good  market  for  the  product  all  combine  to  make  condi- 
tions ideal. 

Fattening  beef  cattle  for  the  market  of  Yuma  Valley  alfalfa  and 
other  feeds  has  become  a  staple  and  profitable  industry.  During  the 
winter  of  1914-1915  more  than  4000  head  of  feeders  were  brought 
into  the  Yuma  Valley  to  fatten  on  the  richest  alfalfa  in  the  world. 
It  is  a  fact  that  the  alfalfa  grown  in  the  Yuma  Valley  has  a  much 
larger  proportion  of  fattening  properties  than  alfalfa  grown  in  a 
damp  climate.  It  is  extremely  rich  in  the  elements  which  make  beef 
and  butter. 


A  MORTGAGE  LIFTER  THAT  DOES  THE  WORK 

There  are  mortgage  lifters  and  mortgage  lifters,  but  there  are  none 
that  give  results  quicker  in  the  Yuma  Valley  than  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hog 
With  an  abundance  of  green  alfalfa,  plenty  of  water  and  no  cold 
Winters  to  stunt  their  growth,  hogs  come  to  early  maturity.  They 
make  good  weight  and  sell  for  top  prices.  The  hog  industry  has 
already  assumed  the  proportions  of  a  big  business  and  is  growing  an 
the  country  under  the  Yuma  Project  tills  up  with  new  farmers.  At 
the  present  price  of  meat  there  is  no  industry  on  the  farm  which 
pays  better  returns  for  the  money  and  labor  put  into  it.  As  compared 
with  raising  hogs  for  market  in  the  cold  states  of  Nebraska,  Iowa  and 
Kansas,  the  corn  belt  states,  raising  hogs  in  the  Yuma  country  is  a 
gentleman's  game. 


THE  POULTRY  INDUSTRY  I>  THE  YUMA  YALLEY 

The  poultry  industry  in  the  Yuma  Valley  offers  amazing  oppor- 
tunities to  the  man  or  woman  with  intelligence  and  a  small  amount  of 
capital.  There  is  no  better  place  in  the  whole  country  for  the 
establishment  of  a  poultry  farm  than  here.  Chickens  do  exceedingly 
well  in  the  Yuma  country.  The  laying  season  is  long  and  eggs  are 
always  a  good  price,  seldom  going  below  thirty  cents  per  dozen,  and 
often  selling  for  forty,  fifty  and  sixty  cents.  The  local  market  and  the 
nearby  mining  camps  absorb  all  of  the  eggs  and  chickens  now  pro- 
duced here.  Plenty  of  green  feed  the  year  around  gives  the  local 
poultry  man  a  great  opportunity.  On  a  very  small  tract  of  land,  one 
to  five  acres,  one  can  raise  all  of  the  feed  needed  to  run  a  large  flock 
of  chickens. 


THE  VALUE  OF  YUMA  VALLEY  LAND 


Land  under  the  Yuma  project  is  largely  in  private  ownership. 
Unimproved  land  can  be  purchased  at  from  $75.00  to  $125.00  per  acre. 
Improved  land  at  from  $100.00  to  $300.00  per  acre,  according  to  loca- 
tion and  the  value  of  the  improvements.  There  is  very  little  govern- 
ment land  in  any  of  the  valleys  under  the  project  and  none  that  is 
open  to  entry  at  this  time.  As  the  country  develops  all  of  this  land 
is  sure  to  increase  in  value.  Its  ultimate  value  would  be  hard  to 
forecast.  That  all  lands  under  the  project  will  double  in  value 
within  the  next  five  years  is  a  conservative  forecast.  The  individual 
who  buys  now  is  sure  to  reap  a  substantial  reward. 


COTTON  GROWN  ON  YUMA  VALLEY  RANCH 

The  agricultural  resources  of  Yuma  project  lands  are  inexhaust- 
ible and  the  variety  of  crops  which  can  be  grown  with  profit  is  very 
large.  Cotton  is  a  staple  product  and  promises  great  things  when 
the  market  once  more  becomes  stable  and  prices  normal.  Fifty  acres 
of  cotton  in  the  Yuma  Valley  in  the  season  of  1914  produced  74  bales 
of  cotton  of  an  average  weight  of  500  pounds.  Had  it  not  have  been 
for  the  slump  in  cotton  prices  on  account  of  the  war  this  rancher 
would  have  secured  a  net  income  from  his  crop  of  more  than  fifty 
dollars  to  the  acre. 


CITRUS  FRUITS  AM)  THE  YUMA  MESA 

The  Yuma  Mesa  has  recently  been  added  to  the  Yuma  project. 
The  Mesa  begins  at  the  city  limits  of  the  City  of  Yuma  and  extends 
South  and  East  to  the  international  boundary.  It  contains  about 
60,000  acres  of  irrigable  land.  It  is  the  largest  contiguous  body  of 
citrus  fruit  land  in  the  United  States.  There  is  but  one  grove  planted 
to  citrus  fruits  upon  the  Mesa  at  this  time.     This  grove  was  planted 


as  an  experimental  orchard  twelve  years  ago  by  Hiram  W.  Blaisdell, 
who  owns  the  controlling  interest  in  the  Yuma  Electric  &  Water 
Company.  Water  to  irrigate  the  orchard  is  pumped  from  the  Colorado 
River  one  and  one-half  miles  away.  This  grove  has  surprised  all  who 
have  seen  it  by  the  abundance  of  fruit  which  it  produces  and  the 
excellence  of  the  quality  of  the  fruit. 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO   EVERYWHERE 


Yuma  and  the  lands  under  the  Yuma  project  are  extremely 
fortunate  in  the  matter  of  transportation.  Yuma  is  located  on  the 
main  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  has  direct  communi- 
calion  with  the  East  and  the  Coast  country  by  this  great  system. 
Five  passenger  trains,  all  of  high  class,  pass  Yuma  each  way  during 
every  twenty-four  hours.  The  Southern  Pacific  main  line  traverses 
the  lands  of  the  Yuma  project  for  a  distance  of  more  than  twenty 
miles,  with  convenient  sidings  and  small  stations. 

Three  branch  railroads  run  out  of  Yuma.  One  branch  twelve 
miles  long  runs  from  Yuma  through  the  Indian  reservation  to  Laguna 
dam,  affording  ample  shipping  and  passenger  facilities  for  the  San 
Pascuale  Valley.     This  is  a  branch  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific. 

The  Inter-California  Railroad  runs  from  Yuma  to  the  Mexican 
line  at  Andrade  and  on  to  Calexico  and  El  Centro,  in  the  Imperial 
Valley,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles,  and  puts  all  the  intervening 
country  in  close  touch  with  Yuma,  which  is  its  market  place. 

This  road  is  a  branch  of  the  Southern  Pacific  road. 

A  government-owned  railroad  runs  from  Yuma  down  the  Colorado 
River  a  distance  of  twenty-three  and  one-half  miles  to  the  interna- 
tional line,  following  the  crest  of  the  reclamation  service  levee.  This 
railroad  puts  a  large  portion  of  the  Yuma  Valley  within  a  short 
distance  of  railroad  communication  with  Yuma  and  the  outside  world. 
This  road  will  be  extended  by  the  reclamation  service  across  the 
lower  end  of  the  valley  at  the  international  line  and  brought  back  to 
Yuma  on  the  East,  or  Mesa,  side  of  the  valley,  thus  giving  to  the 
valley  fifty  miles  of  railroad  and  putting  every  farm  in  the  valley 
within  two  or  three  miles  of  its  shipping  point. 

The  California-Arizona  Railroad  is  building  from  San  Diego  to 
Yuma,  and  is  at  this  time  about  two-thirds  completed,  and  will 
probably  reach  Yuma  by  the  close  of  the  year. 

Two  automobile  stage  lines  run  from  Yuma  into  the  Yuma  Valley 
connecting  Yuma  with  Scmerton  and  Gadsden,  two  thriving  villages, 
twelve  and  nineteen  miles  South  of  Yuma,  respectively.  All  parts  of 
the  valley  can  be  reached  by  auto  stage  several  times  each  day,  and 
at  a  very  reasonable  cost. 

An  automobile  stage  line  runs  from  Yuma  to  Holtville  and  El 
Centro  in  the  Imperial  Valley,  making  daily  trips  at  a  reasonable 
charge. 

The  reclamation  service  is  building  a  railroad  from  Yuma  to 
Laguna  dam  on  the  Arizona  side  of  the  river.  Several  miles  of  this 
road  South  of  Laguna  dam  has  been  completed,  and  the  line  will 
probably  be  finished  the  coming  Fall  and  Winter. 

With  one  main  line  railroad,  four  branch  lines,  reaching  to  all 
parts  of  the  Yuma  project  and  numerous  stage  lines,  Yuma  is  indeed 
"  On  the  Road  to  Everywhere." 


For  quick  information  about  Yuma  and 

Yuma  Project  lands,  address 

L  W.  ALEXANDER, 

Secretary 

Yuma  County  Commercial  Club, 

Immigration  Commissioner 

Yuma  County 


Board  of  Supervisors  Yuma  County 

J.  A.  Donovan,  Chairman;  Ike  Proebstel. 
J.  H.  Shanssey 


Officers  and  Directors  Commercial 

Club 

E.  S.  Kirkpatrick,  President;  A.  J.  Eddy, 

Vice  President;  E.  H.  Tobias, 

Treasurer 

Emil  C.  Eger,  Paul  Moretti,  Max  Czuczka, 

J.  Homer  Smith 


PRESS  MORNING  SUN.  YUMA 


: 


